A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Winds of Change

HaGaon HaRav Meshulam Dovid Halevy Soloveitchik - Source YWN

There was an amazing editorial by Rabbi Moshe
Grylak in last week’s Mishpacha Magazinewhere hereflected on the newly elected Israeli Kenesset. He applauded the fact that so many
members of the new Kenesset will be observant Jews. In fact he pointed out that
it has almost become fashionable for a political party to have at least one
religious Jew on their list. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid has two rabbis who will be sitting members in the Kenesset . He contrasted that to an earlier time when a wearing a Kipa in the Kenesset was seen as
anything but an asset. Here is how he put it:

I, for one, feel this is a refreshing change. It tells us
that the kippah on the head of an MK does not, in and of itself, frighten the
secular public in Eretz Yisrael the way it once did. Two weeks ago Yair Lapid,
head of the celebrated new Yesh Atid party, declared publicly and unabashedly
that he believes in G‑d and in Divine involvement in earthly affairs, a
departure from the faith of his father, Tommy Lapid, who was an avowed atheist.

A journalist from the left-leaning Haaretz once
told me that in her opinion,Tommy Lapid didn’t hate the chareidim so much as
he looked down on them pityingly, considering them victims of some mass
delusion. Yet his beloved son Yair is standing up and bareheadedly declaring
his adherence to that very “delusion.” How that belief affects his personal
life, if at all, is not the question now.

The point is that he felt he could
make such a statement without fear of losing the election, and that attests to
a change in the public’s attitude. In the past, one such remark by a candidate
could have lost him any chance of sitting in the Knesset.

Indeed! An astounding 40 or more members of the Kenesset
will be Kipa wearing Jews. That is at least 1/3 of the Kenesset! That is a
Kiddush HaShem!

But as a card carrying Charedi, Rabbi Grylak considers this to
be a mixed blessing. While applauding this new statistic he laments the fact
that so many of these new members seem to be opposed to the views of ‘Daas
Torah’ on the subject of drafting Charedim into the army. The Charedi position is well known by now. They are opposed to drafting Charedim.

How opposed? It seems like it might be a Machlokes
HaPoskim. Here is what Yahadut Hatorah’s Menachem Eliezer Moses said. From YWN:

“If we are so
compelled, we will all accompany the bnei yeshivos to prison.”

But Brisk Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Meshulam Dovid Halevy
Soloveitchik has said that if the draft is enacted into law...

“we (Yeshiva and
Kollel students) will be compelled to leave the country”.

Jail or exile. What a choice.

None of this surprises me. That is all I’ve been hearing
since the Tal law was allowed to lapse. The Tal Law offered Charedim a path into the workforce by satisfying their military obligations with minimal service after leaving Kollel. And even that law was considered anti Torah by some Charedi rabbinic leaders.

This is one area where differences between Charedi factions
disappear. When it comes to drafting their youth, they all unite in common
cause. The Eida HaCharedis, the Lithuanian Yeshiva world, the world of Chasidim... even HaGoan Rav Ovadia Yosef... all keep repeating the same “Hell no… We won’t go!” type mantra:

What is disturbing to me is not so much their argument that learning Torah is more important than army service. It is the way they
articulate it. Here for example is what Rav Meshulam Dovid
Halevy Soloveitchik said in a Shmooze (informal lecture or conversation) with his students. From YWN:

“The kavona of the
haters of Israel by trying to draft bnei yeshivos is to destroy the major
foundation of Torah, to destroy the yeshiva world, and to uproot everything
R”L

The rosh yeshiva refers to the share the burden effort as an
“existential threat against the Torah world and Yiddishkheit R”L”.

“When we refer annually in the Pesach haggadah (In every
generation they stand against us to destroy us) refers to the gezeiros of the
haters of Torah seeking to uproot the Torah HaKadosha R”L.”

I’m sorry. With all due respect to Rav Soloveitchik does he
really believe that the goal of... not only the secular government but of
many religious members of the Knesset is to destroy Torah Judaism? If so -
he is wrong and clueless about their goal and their motives.

I would not accuse him of lying or even exaggerating. That would
not be in consonance with his standing as an Ish Emes - a man of truth which is
one of the hallmarks of the Soloveitchik dynasty. They are not given to
exaggeration either. I must therefore assume that he actually believes what he
is saying.

To me that says only one thing. He is so isolated from the
world that he believes that nothing has changed since the days of Czarist
Russia or the founding of the State! …that any and all support for a Charedi
draft stems from the desire to destroy Yiddishkeit by haters of Torah. He simply
does not appreciate the sincere arguments made by - not only the bereaved
secular mother of a fallen soldier - but even sincerely religious Jews. Some of
whom are bereaved mothers of fallen soldiers themselves.

Does Rav Soloveitchik really think that HaBayit HaYehudi’s Naftali
Bennett - an observant Jew or Rabbi Dov Lipman – A Musmach of Ner Israel (and a hero in my view) have “risen in our generation to destroy the
Jewish people”? Is he that naïve? Does he
think that the Hesder Yeshiva is a ploy
by Religious Zionists to “uproot Klall Yisrael’s neshama from its roots, the
yeshivos hakodesh.”

I guess so...

I don’t question Rav Soloveitchik’s right to believe as he
does – although I obviously strongly disagree with him. But I do question his
right to frame the motives of those who support the draft in such vicious and
evil terms.

If I recall correctly Jonathan Rosenblum suggested in one
of his columns that in Israel - such comments be taken with a grain
of salt. That they don’t really mean it when they say it. It’s just hyperbole
to impress upon the listener the severity of their opposition.

I’m sorry. That does not fly in my book. Not when truly
sincere and religious people are involved. Not when lives of people who protect
the country are at stake. I think such rhetoric does great
harm to the fabric of a nation in the throes of constant existential threat.

Which is why I am proud to follow another Soloveitchik who
in my view was far greater than this one… my Rebbe Rav Ahron who proudly said
Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut and whose grandson Yitzchak Zev HaLevi Soloveichik proudly
served in the IDF.

In trying to understand all of this, I think the perplexed Rabbi
Grylak said it best:

“Whatever the case,
it’s obvious that something major is going on behind the scenes, and Hashem
alone knows what it is.”

Update:
Moshe Feiglin is not someone I usually agree with on issues relating to the West Bank (Yehudah and Shomoron). But on the issue of the draft - I think we are on the same page. He believes that we should abolish mandatory conscription. Instaed Israel should have a professional all volunteer army. I agree.

As I have said many times I don't know if it's doable. But if as Mr. Feiglin suggests - it is... it would solve a lot of problems. By coincidence, the Jewish Press has an in-depth article on this subject by Mr. Feiglin. I think it is worth considering.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelors Degree - majoring in Psychology.